Combined radiator and humidifier



March 7, 1933. T 5 HART AL 1,900,554

COMBINED RADIATOR AND HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Theodore S.Havt.

PhilipM.Bush. BY THEIR ATTORNEY March 7, 1933. 5 HART'ET 1,900,554

COMBINED RADIATOR AND HUMIDIFIER N FiledAu.27 m2 N mm UUU mm mm Vvvvvvvv QVVVVV N N N N IH Q :9. N N INVENTORS N Theodore S.Hart. Philip M.Bush.

BY THEIR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1933 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THEODORE S. HART, OF NEW BRITAIN, AND PHILIP M. BUSH, OF BLOOMFIELD, CON- NECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE HART & HUTCHIN SON COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT COMBINED RADIATOR AND HUMIDHIER Application filed August 27, 1931. Serial No. 559,686.

This invention relates to humidifyingapparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for simultaneously heating and moistening theair in a room or other enclosure to maintain the proper temperature and relative humidity therein.

One object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which may be installed in any modern steam. vapor or hot :3 water heating system.

A further object is to provide a humidifying apparatus which may be-readily installed in any existing heating system in place of one of the radiators of said system.

1) A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature having aplurality of humidifying units arranged with respect to each other in staggered relationship and above the radiator section of the apparatus, the hot air rising from said radiator section being caused to rapidly and efficiently absorb moisture from said units before being discharged into the room.

A further'object is to provide an apparatus 95 of the above nature employing no moving parts such as fans, belts, electric motors, etc.,

which would be likely to be noisy and easily get out of order. 7

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which willbe simpl'ein construction, silent in operation, inexpensive .to manufacture, easy to install and manipu-' late, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

-':-i IVith these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice. In the drawings: fa Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the humidifying apparatus with the door in open position and having certain parts broken away to show the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional '1 wiew of one of the humidifier units showing the overflow valve in closed position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the humidifying apparatus. 50 Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of'the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates generally an enclosing cabinet supported upon four pedestal feet 11 iilgld provided with a removable top cover lid In order to gain access tothe interior of the 60 cabinet from the front, provision is made of a laterally swinging hinged door 13 located intermediate a lower channel bar 14 and an upper ornamental grille 14a through which the humidified air is adapted to flow out into the room.

Both the radiatorand humidifier sections of the apparatus are adapted to'be connected at their ends to an inlet header 15 and an outlet header 16, each of said headers having 70 an outwardly extending tapped boss 17 (18) at'its lower end for connectingsaid headers to an inlet pipe 19 and an outlet pipe 20, respectively.

The radiator section comprises a plurality of tiers (two in this instance) vof horizontal copper tubes 21. Each tier comprises three tubes. All sixof the radiator tubes are surrounded by a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel copper radiating fins 21a, preferably soldered to said tubes.

Provision is made of a plurality of humidi fying units, three in this instance, each of which comprises a horizontal copper water pan 22 supported by three parallel tubes 23, 85 similar to the tubes 21 of the radiator section. All of said tubes 21 and 23 are suitably sealed into the headers 15 and 16 by means of compression coupling screws 24, which connectsaid tubes to a plurality of vertically spaced hollow bosses 25 extending inwardly from said headers.

The humidifier tubes 23 are adapted to be positioned adjacent the bottoms of the water 'pans 22 and are passed through the end walls 5 26 and 27 thereof, being suitably sealed in said walls, as by welding. The water for humidifying the heated air is'supplied to, the radiator cabinet 10 by means of a small vertical feed pipe 28 preferably of copper tubing tom humidit'ying pans and terminating at its upper end in a downt'urned U-shaped loop 29 adapted to be closed by a pet-cock 30. By suitably adjusting the pet cock 30, a continuous supply of water may be fed into the upper pan 22.

The vertical feed'pipe 28 is held in a rigid position by means 28a and 28b embracing said feed pipe 28 and being attached to an end wall of the inlet header 15.

Each of the two uppermost water-pans 22 has a short overflow through a depressed well 32 locatedat an intermediate position in the bottom of said pans Each of the overflow pipes 31 has its upper end beveled at 33 in order to permit the water to overflow at a rate in direct proportion to the level of the water above the top of said overflow. The lowermost water pan 22 is provided with a long overflow pipe 34 which permits the water in said pan to be carried off to any suitable drainage device, such as a sink. not shown, located at some lower point. The overflow pipe 34 is surrounded by a depressed well 35 similar to the wells 32 mentioned above.

Each of the overflow pipes 31 and 3-4 is provided with a side orifice 36, the lower edge of which is flush with the bottom of the wells 32 and 35, thus insuring a complete drainage from the humidifying pans 22 when the orifices 36 are opened. Each of the orifices 36 is adapted to be selectively closed by means of a concave valve cap 37 formed upon the lower end of a hand-operated lever 38 pivoted to the upperend of the valve pipes 31 and 34 by a rivet 39, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

By means of this construction it will be understood that if it is found that the three pans 22 are supplying an excessive amount of humidity to the atmosphere, the humidifying effect may be reduced one-third by merely swinging the valve lever 38 of the top pan to a horizontal position and thus opening the orifice 36 in the upper overflow pipe 31. The upper pan will thus be thrown out of action as a humidifying unit. The middle and botmay also be rendered inactive in a similar manner if desired. This construction also permits the pans to be readily cleaned and flushed whenever desired.

s a means for supporting the combined radiator and humidifying 'units, the end walls of the cabinet 10 are provided with a pair of horizontal angle brackets 40 and 41, upon which the inlet header l5 and the outlet header 16 are adapted to rest respectively, said headers being secured to said brackets as by screws 42.

In order to produce the maximum humidifying action, the pans 22 are preferably disposed in staggered relationship relative to each other, thus causing the heated air from v the radiator section below to flow horizontally of a pair of eye-brackets pipe 31 passing down over the humidifying pans e maximum amount of water back and forth and absorb th Operation To operate the combined radiator and humidifier, the pet-cock 30 will first be opened for filling the three pans 22 with water. The pet-cock 30 will then be adjusted to allow a stream of water to flow into the upper pan 22, the amount of said stream preferably being slightly in excess of that required to compensate for the moisture evaporated in the pans 22. The heating medium will then be introduced into the inlet header, causing the tubes 21 and 23, and the radiator fins 21a and the water in the humidifier pans 22 to rapidly become heated.

This hot air current rising from the radiator section will then be caused to flow in a sinuous path between the staggered pans 22 and will rapidly absorb the vheated water vapor rising from the'pans .22. The humidified hot air will then flow upwardly and outwardly into the room through the grille 14a.

hile there has been disclosed in this speclfication one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a humidifier for cabinet adapted to rest upon the floor of said room, said cabinet having top and bottom openings, a pair of inlet and outlet headers supported by the end walls of said cabinet, a plurality of tiers of horizontal tubes connecting said headers,the lower tiers of tubes being provided with fins and comprising a radiator section, the upper tiers being immersed in a plurality of water pans and comprising humidifying units, means for supplying heating fluid to said inlet header, the heated air from said radiator section being caused to absorb the moisture rising from the humidifying units.

2. In a humidifier for the air in a room, a pair of inlet and outlet headers, said headers being connected by a plurality of rows of horizontal tubes, a water pan for surthe air in a room, a i

- 5. In a humidifier for the air in a room, a plurality of horizontal rows of heated tubes, one of said upper rows of tubes being im- .mersed'in a water pan, and means forcausing the heated air from the rows of 'tubes'below roundin one of said upper rows of tubes, means or supplying heating fluid to said inlet header, the heated air rising from the lower tubes being humidified by the water vapor rising from said water pan.

3. In a humidifier for the air in a room, a pair of inlet and outlet headers, said headers being connected bya nlurality of hori; zontal' tubes, a water pan for surrounding one of said upper'tubes, means for supplying heating fluid to. said inlet header, the heated air rising from the lower tubes being hu-.

the water vapor rising from said orifice above the bottom of said pan, and a lever pivoted to said pipe and having a valve cap adapted to-fit said orifice.

- 9. In a humidifier for the air in a room, a

horizontal water pan, means to heat the water therein, an overflow pipe extending downwardly through said pan and having an open upper end, said pipe having a side orifice above the bottom of saidpan, and a lever pivoted to said pipe and having a valve cap;

adapted to fit said orifice, said orifice being closed when said lever is in a vertical position.

In testimony-whereof, we have aflixed our signatures to this specification.

THEODORE S. HART. PHILIP M.. BUSH.

er an and means for causin water to. 7

overflow from said upper pan into the pans beneath, and an overflow drain .in said lowermost pan.

said pan to pass over the surface of the water in said pan to absorb water vapor therefrom.

6 In a humidifier for the air in a room, a plurality of horizontal rows of heated tubes, one of said upper rows of tubes bemg immersed in a water pan, means for caus ing the heated air from the rows of tubes w said pan to pass over the surface of the water in said pan to absorb water vapor therefrom, and an overflow pipe extending downwardlythrough said pan, said overflow pipe bein located inadepressed well in the bottom 0% said pan.

7. In a humidifier for-the air in a room, a plurality of horizontal rows of heated tubes, one of saidupper rows of tubes being immersed in awater pan, and means for causing the heated air from the rows of tubes below said pan to pass over the surface of the water in said pan to absorb water'vaporr therefrom, and an overflow pipe extendmg downwardly through said pan, said overflow pipe having a beveled open upper end whereby the rate of overflow will be proportional to the level of the water above the bottom of the beveled top opening in said pipe.

8. In a humidifier for the air in aroom,

a horizontal water pan, means toiheat'the water therein, an overflow pipe extending downwardly through said pan andhaving an open upper end, said pipe having a side 

